NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Because this is the 25th anniversary of NHRA Pro Mod racing,  we're taking a look back at 25 moments of NHRA Pro Mod history. Here's Part 2, celebrating moments 1 through 10.  [Part 1]

No. 10: Jordan Lazic’s incredible Las Vegas championship attack in 2024

It wasn’t ever supposed to come to this. Jordan Lazic was going to run half the season in 2024 and then a full pull in 2025, but then a funny thing happened. Despite missing the first two races of the 2024 season, he hit the next two hard, and sitting fifth after four races of a 10-race season, the decision was made to make a run at it. Even that call may have seemed suspect when the team entered the Road to the Championship playoffs in 10th position. Their chances seemed bleak. A semifinal finish at the first playoff race in St. Louis saw him driving out of the track fourth and just 24 points behind the class leader. It stayed tight right into Las Vegas with the top four cars all within 26 points.

His most critical run in Las Vegas was against his friend and teammate Justin Bond in the second round. Winning on a holeshot, he advanced to take on Kris Thorne, and when he crossed that semifinal finish line first, he became the first Canadian NHRA Pro Mod champion in history. In the final, he’d beat Mike Janis when Janis had a foul start.

People went from asking “Jordan who?” in the spring to praising a worthy champ in the fall. How cool is that?

No. 9: The Crowmod lands in Indy, Pontiac power and all

The year was 2016, and the location was the NHRA U.S. Nationals. Crowds packed the stands, people hung on the fence, and reporters had packed a news conference the day before. Why? Justin “Big Chief” Shearer was at the event to compete, something unfathomable about a year before. Of course, Shearer was a central star in the Street Outlaws television franchise, and the year before, there had been a public rift between the NHRA and that show, which was based around street racing, the very thing NHRA was born to combat. Tensions ran high, things were said, and there was a feeling of unease around the two organizations and cultures.

In 2016, an olive branch was extended and readily accepted by Shearer. NHRA invited him to come and compete in Indy in the Pro Mod category. His weapon of choice was the car known as the “CrowMod,” a Pontiac Firebird-bodied car that was visually similar to many of the cars on the property, but this one had a large departure from the norm. A twin-turbocharged Pontiac engine. Actual Pontiac architecture with modified Edelbrock Pontiac heads on it and all.

The car drew scads of attention to the class in qualifying. It was able to muster an impressive 6.361 at 226.47 mph, which left it outside of the 16-car qualified field but not at the bottom of the performance charts. It performed well, hands were shaken, fences were mended, and a newfound respect was achieved on both sides.

It was not just a big moment for Pro Mod. This was a big moment for drag racing.

No. 8: Mike Castellana beats the house for his first NHRA title in 2023

Mike Castellana has staying power in Pro Mod. In fact, he is among the longest continuously successful racers in the history of the class, both inside and outside of the NHRA. He’s got the second most wins in series history as well as the second most final-round appearances, trailing Rickie Smith by four in wins and three in finals with 16 and 34, respectively. That said, the stats at the last race of the 2023 season looked bleak for Mike Castellana’s first NHRA championship hopes. He was third in points and trailing two guys who were not at all interested in letting him back into the chat.

The good news is that both Castellana and his crew chief Frank Manzo were not interested in getting back in the conversation; they were interested in dominating it, and they did. After qualifying No. 1, Castellana watched as 2022 champion Kris Thorne destroyed his car in a high-speed crash, ending his chances, and then, after defeating Dimitry Samorukov, Castellana watched Justin Bond lose to Kevin Rivenbark, which made the title his. So bewildered was Castellana that NHRA television reporter Amanda Busick had to make him stay at the top end to receive the trophy.

That wore off quickly though, as Castellana would go on to win the race, his first victory of the season, making it a two-Wally weekend and the most memorable of his NHRA career.

No. 7: Shannon Jenkins claims first NHRA Pro Mod championship in 2002

It has been 21 years since Shannon “The Ice Man” Jenkins has won an NHRA Pro Mod race, yet he still sits 10th all-time in class wins. Beyond that, though, he will forever be the first person to be able to claim championship honors in this class in NHRA history. Yes, this moment pre-dates the “Wally era” for Pro Mod in the NHRA, but it’s still a big historical milestone.

After the successful five-race 2001 experiment, NHRA expanded the Pro Mod program to 10 events with sponsorship from AMS Staff Leasing. Jenkins won six of them. He started by going back-to-back in Gainesville and Houston, went on another heater, winning St. Louis, Indy, and Memphis, Tenn., and then finished the season properly in Las Vegas with that sixth win.

Even after all these years, it still stands as one of the most dominating seasons in Pro Mod history as he won additional championships that year outside of NHRA. A legend in his own time, Jenkins showed everyone what greatness looked like in 2002.

No. 6: Back-to-back titles for “Stevie Fast” Jackson in 2019 and 2020

As we’ve discussed, Steve Jackson’s presence in the world of doorslammer drag racing is outsized, and that’s because he has earned it. With roots that stretch back to test 'n' tune nights as a teenager and a slow climb through the ranks of grudge racing, small tire, and outlaw racing, his arrival on the NHRA scene was heralded but also greeted with a little skepticism. Would he be able to cut it with the quarter-mile crowd? When he won his first race in Topeka in 2017, we all got that answer. It was only up from there.

By the 2019 season, Jackson’s success and swagger were firing on all cylinders. He opened the season with a final-round loss to Todd Tutterow, where he actually reset the national record while losing in Gainesville. He then won Houston, runner-upped Richmond, won Topeka, runnered-up St. Louis, and won Charlotte and Las Vegas, placing the champion’s crown upon his head for the first time in NHRA.

In what would be a truncated 2020 season of seven races, Jackson won two: the NHRA U.S. Nationals and the series finale in Las Vegas. He was the runner-up in Dallas to Brandon Snider. Those wins, the deep finish, and consistent round-wins garnered him the second championship.

Jackson’s rise in this world of competition continued to elevate his status and has since allowed him to open a business, Killin’ Time Racing, which specializes in all things Pro Mod racing. 
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No. 5: Troy Critchley makes the first NHRA five-second run in 2007

As Pro Modified fans well know, there are lots of places to race these cars, and while outwardly, they all appear to be the same, mechanically they are subtly different. No one knew that better than NHRA Pro Mod racers in the 2006 timeframe. Many flirted with the first five-second run in class history, but none were able to finish the job until the final qualifying session at the 2007 NHRA Gatornationals.

The session presented itself very well. It was later in the afternoon, the humidity was almost nothing, the track was a workable 110 degrees, and the density altitude was just over 2,000 feet. It was go time.

Tony Pontieri led off the session by going 6.007, Mike Janis followed with a 6.012, and then a string of runs that were not close. Just when it seemed like it would be another missed shot to see that first five, Troy Critchley reared back and delivered a 5.946 at 245.27 mph. It wasn’t just a five — it was an authoritative five. Incredibly, in the next pair, Josh Hernandez ran 5.951, one run from being able to claim NHRA’s first five, which he had been able to claim outside NHRA in 2006.

Hernandez would go on to win the race, defeating Critchley in the final. Hernandez also became the first Pro Mod racer in NHRA history to have a complete five-second race day, running 5.927, 5.932, and 5.938 in succession on the way to his win.

No. 4: Troy Coughlin’s improbable 2012 championship dash

Before there was a playoff system for the NHRA Pro Mod category, the math of winning a championship was simple: Just earn more points than anyone else by the time the final round of the season was run in Las Vegas.

No one understood this concept better than Troy Coughlin and his tuner Steve Petty in 2012. Having performed well during the season with a runner-up in Englishtown and then a win in St. Louis, they were facing a two-round points deficit with four rounds left to earn points in Las Vegas. Understanding the seriousness of this situation, they did the only logical thing. They brought out a completely new car. The car had been quietly tested and showed promise, so the team agreed that it was their best shot.

They were right. Coughlin qualified third and then beat Mike Janis in the first round. In the second round, he faced points leader Mike Castellana, the very man he was chasing. Downing Castellana, he still needed to go the distance. Danny Rowe red-lit the next round and Don Walsh in the Harry Hruska Camaro got out of shape. Coughlin won the race and the championship by three points … in a brand-new car.

No. 3: JR Gray and the winner-take-all championship run in 2025

It was the pinnacle moment of the 2025 season. A 10-race battle had come down to the literal last possible moment. Two drivers who were coming into the final round in Las Vegas from very different places in their lives and drag racing careers, but with the same singular goal. Just get to the finish line first. JR Gray was thinking it, and so was Billy Banaka.

Gray’s season had been one for the books up to that point. He won three of four straight after Phoenix, appearing in four straight finals. But then, futility. The consistency and performance fell off; the car was still solidly in the points, but it was not as fearsome as it once was. Racers like Menholt, Castellana, and Mississippi’s Billy Banaka closed in for the kill.

Undeterred by the pressure from all sides, Gray rolled into Las Vegas with one outcome in mind: victory. As he and Banaka made it through the rounds, it seemed more and more inevitable they’d meet for a final showdown.

When they did just that in the closing stanza of the race, time seemed to stand still. The two cars staged with the whole season’s hopes and dreams hanging in the balance. Gray left first with a .028 light; Banaka fought hard but ultimately did not have enough race car. Gray’s 5.749 defeated the 5.763 of Banaka, and Gray hoisted the championship Wally at the top end, becoming emotional when speaking about the role his family and past had played in his formation as a professional drag racer.

It was an incredible scene from fire-up to trophy presentation.

No. 2: Rickie Smith becomes the first three-time champ in NHRA Pro Mod history, 2016

If you have been wondering where Rickie Smith has been on this list, wonder no more. The winningest driver in series history, the man with the most final-round appearances, and the first man to ever win three championships in NHRA Pro Mod, Smith dominates the most important part of this list. Beyond those accolades, he was one of two players who made up the most singularly awesome rivalry in not only NHRA Pro Mod but any form of drag racing between 2012 and 2017. Yes, nitrous versus turbos, Rickie Smith vs. Troy Coughlin, clutches versus torque converters, it was all there on full display at full throttle.

Smith’s championships came in 2013, 2014, and 2016. Coughlin’s came in 2012, 2015, and 2017. See what we mean here?

His 2013 championship was founded on back-to-back wins in Bristol and Norwalk with a runner-up in Indy and another in St. Louis to stave off Coughlin. In 2014, he won Atlanta, Indy, and the season closer in Las Vegas to score title number two. After coming up short in 2015, he came screaming back in 2016. He won Gainesville, won Atlanta, and had steady points-gathering races before making the St. Louis final and coming up short to Coughlin. That final allowed him to simply arrive in Las Vegas, qualify, and clinch his third championship.

And that was far, far from the end. He recorded wins in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024. In 2025, he made the first two finals of the season, coming up just shy in each.

While retirement is a word Smith has used with some frequency, we’re hoping he’s not hanging up his spurs quite yet. He’s one of the lucky few to be enshrined in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame while still racing, and on that alone, we think there may be a few more wins in store for this truly epic racer.

No. 1: Rickie Smith wins the first NHRA Pro Mod exhibition in Gainesville circa 2001

Perhaps it is inevitable that this would be the No. 1 spot on the list, but how can we go any other way? Without that first event and the four others in 2001, this whole notion of NHRA and Pro Modified would not even be a discussion. The fact that the event itself embodied the kind of chaotic, wild, and lunatic fringe action the class was known for made it all the better. Heck, even the conclusion of the thing was wacky, but the start took the cake.

As Paul Athey and Ronnie Hood, the sixth pair of the first round of qualifying, commenced their burnouts, things did not go according to plan. Athey’s car crossed the centerline, nerfed the side of Hood’s car, and came to a stop. Undeterred and unobstructed by officials, the guys backed up and made their runs like nothing ever happened. NHRA regulars and racers of all classes looked on bewildered. Alan Pittman would be the fastest car in qualifying, running 6.217 at 226.24 mph. Rickie Smith was on the eight-car bump spot going into eliminations at 6.337.

And then the rain came relentlessly.

The event was rescheduled to April, and due to other conflicts, only four cars made it back. Kirk Kuhns, Wayne Torkelson, Todd Tutterow, and Rickie Smith. In the first round, Smith downed King Tutt when Tutterow red-lit. Kuhns beat Torkelson, 6.283 to 6.484. In the final round, Tutterow left on Kuhns, both shook the tires, but Smith gathered it up first, his 6.832 at 213 mph carrying him into history as the first person to ever win anything in a Pro Mod at an NHRA event.

Even at this time in history, with his successes in various doorslammer drag racing categories, Smith was recognized as a master of his craft, and that recognition would continue to grow and expand in the decades to come. The longer the history of the class and the personal history of Rickie Smith are intertwined, the more fitting it is that he put his name in the books first.

There are 25 moments, all large in their own way, which have helped to define the NHRA Pro Mod class over the last 25 years. Of course, there are hundreds, heck, thousands to consider, so take this list with a grain of salt. We’ll continue to celebrate this milestone anniversary through the 2026 season, and as we do, we’ll have more and more memories, craziness, and high-horsepower Pro Mod history to share.